Reviews by sa1157

sa1157 says "Improved design over previous models, limited durability" about Water Pik WP-100 Ultra Dental Water Jet

sa1157 — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 02:02:26 GMT

I had owned one of the larger Waterpik oral irrigators, at my dentist's insistence, and found it LOUD, awkward, messy... but I loved how clean my mouth felt. This newer design improves a lot of the issues with the older machine. It sounds less like a jackhammer; it's more ergonomic, takes up less space, and looks nicer. I find myself much more willing to actually use it.

However, after about 6 months of shamefully infrequent use, the pause button started to stick badly. It may not sound like a big deal, but the pause button was very handy. It also saved a lot of expensive oral rinse and was a lot neater when I could pause the jet, position the tip under the gum for each tooth, then pause and re-position. Now I have to just do it all in one shot, meaning more waste, more mess, less thorough cleaning (because I can't see through the water to properly clean each tooth). If I do hit the pause button, forgeddaboudit. It can take ten minutes of wiggling and begging before I can get the......

sa1157 says "Wanted to love it, but just couldn't do it." about Tom's of Maine Natural Unscented Deodorant

sa1157 — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 01:17:52 GMT

I wanted to love this product, really I did, so I kept on using it even when it seemed to be failing me. After a couple of weeks, though, I had to admit that it wasn't just a coincidence that I kept noticing a BO smell. It was me alright. Gross! I know this is not an antiperspirant, but I expected it to reduce odor (the "hops extract" was supposed to inhibit bacterial growth, and therefore odor). It seemed like i was worse off on days when I used the Tom's deodorant than when I used nothing. I have nothing against the product itself - it applied just fine, no problems with the consistency. I was pleased that it had no heady fragrances, only a faint lemony scent from the lemongrass essential oil. But, I can't go around the office smelling like I just mopped up a locker room floor with my shirt. Sorry Tom. I guess I'll just use this when I'm bumming around the house with no one to smell me....

sa1157 says "Great, inexpensive Indian food in Midtown!" about Yatra - New York, NY

sa1157 — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:58:35 GMT

Yatra may be a little rough around some of its edges, but I'm a devoted fan. The food is really, consistently excellent. I've tried a number of Indian places and none of them compare to Yatra's food (even the one twice as expensive).

If you eat in, the decor is pleasant enough but nothing special. The table service is pretty attentive. The lunch buffet is a good option - there are a number of tasty meat and veg entrees (usually one fish entree too), with several chutneys and accompaniments, plus salad, fruit and dessert.

If you get a take-out "lunch box", they'll make you up a take-out box with rice, one main dish entree and two sides, chutneys, and naan. It's a good deal at $7-8 (veg/non-veg) and I always managed to stretch mine for two days' meals.

Now, though, I prefer to order a la carte entrees from the lunch menu. The a la carte entrees are tastier than the buffet curries, probably because they're made to order. The portion is substantial for one person, though as......

sa1157 says "Friendly, Professional, and above all, Honest!" about East West Auto - Fair Lawn, NJ

sa1157 — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:30:52 GMT

I adore my mechanics. It's a good feeling to know you've got a good, trustworthy repair shop behind you when something goes wrong - it's almost like having an extra insurance policy. I've been through several cars in the time I've been going to East/West, and I always leave happy. The repair bills don't hurt so badly when you know you can trust your guys to charge you only for work that actually needed doing. They've talked me out of getting service I didn't need. They've also charged $20 for what I thought was going to be a major repair. Their honesty is what keeps me coming back year after year. They're always courteous, professional, and fastidious about communicating to you what exactly needs to be done and what they did. I can't recommend them enough.

(Also, although I'm not a car person, East/West was recommended to me by some serious gearheads - so you chrome-polishing types should like Pete and Steve, too.)

My only lament is that they're closed on weekends. ......